


The Early Bird and the Worm

by Betrue (beet)



Category: Smallville
Genre: Community: Sweet Charity, Fanart, M/M, Manip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-07-11
Updated: 2009-07-11
Packaged: 2017-10-14 13:22:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/149629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beet/pseuds/Betrue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is for Tallihensia, who won me in the last, great Sweet Charity auction. Thank you for your generosity, your giving to the Charity, and your wonderful prompts!</p><p>Thanks to Oxoniensis and Devoted to Smallville for the caps. Special thanks to Garryowen and everyone at the Artists_Guild for beta help, and an extra thanks to Fromward for helping me with the story snippet, too.</p>
    </blockquote>





	The Early Bird and the Worm

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tallihensia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tallihensia/gifts).



> This is for Tallihensia, who won me in the last, great Sweet Charity auction. Thank you for your generosity, your giving to the Charity, and your wonderful prompts!
> 
> Thanks to Oxoniensis and Devoted to Smallville for the caps. Special thanks to Garryowen and everyone at the Artists_Guild for beta help, and an extra thanks to Fromward for helping me with the story snippet, too.

His gaze lingers on the tender bow of Lex's spine--still curled around the impression Clark had left in the bed.

Longing and shame are twining together in his gut. He knows he shouldn't be here in Lex’s penthouse, fresh from Lex’s bed. He should be strong enough to just walk away from their confrontations, but he's not.

Last night’s fight left his knees weak and his breath caught in his chest. With shouted obscenities and wounding words, color had blossomed in Lex's cheeks and crawled down his neck like vines. After that it was a blur until Lex's hands reached his skin and brought the world back into focus, drawing tremors and warmth everywhere they roamed. His body was thrumming with desire and Lex’s indifference was shattered on the floor, and it was absolutely unimaginable that Lex didn't love him. That, there in the dark, there was any reason he shouldn't be holding on, and giving up, and letting Lex in on every front.

But in the bright light of morning, the doubts rise first, and all that certainty is sleeping late. In the shower and with each piece of clothing he shakes out, there’s a litany running through his head of reasons why he should never have allowed this to happen. While washing their mix of come from his body: “He knows your weakness.” While toweling off: “He doesn’t really love you; he just wants to control the Alien.” Pulling on his leggings: “He’s doing bad things and he’s not going to stop.” Settling on his belt: “He’s just using you.” His shirt: “He’ll use you and throw you away.” And as he stands fully dressed and ready to leave: “He won’t change.”

This afternoon Lex will be marble watching Clark in the press pit, his eyes flint if they happen to wind up face to face at Thursday’s dedication for the new telescope at the Kohler Observatory. And next week, or next month, or the next time Superman barrels into Lex and that inhuman calm cracks, Clark knows he will find himself here again, caught in the morning sun at the window, wondering one more time, why he is so weak.


End file.
